Say What?

Serious question: now that all aid to Ukraine has been halted, and in light of all of the capitulations Trump has made to Russia — shutting down early warning agencies; halting intelligence gathering aimed at Russia; turning our backs on our allies; talk of removing sanctions on Russia; placed stooges in prominent roles; removed critical oversight, did I mention turning our backs on our allies as well as relinquishing our role as leader of the free world, etc. — how long will it be before Trump moves to help arm Russia? It’s terrifyingly shocking, but this is where we find ourselves.  Trump Is clearly acting on Putin’s behalf. Sorry to be blunt, but it takes a whole other level of gullibility not to open your eyes and mind to the possibility that you’ve been conned if you’re still supporting this pretender. We are watching the dismantling of our country and, with it, our democracy, our freedoms, and our way of life. What are we waiting for? That's all I've got.

I woke up to numerous songbirds singing outside our bedroom window this morning. Our snow is gone, with the exception of where it's been piled high after snow removal. With nothing but well above freezing temps in our forecast, even the piles of snow won't survive. I know it's too early to think our winter is behind us, but I'm enjoying the respite.  Tammy and I had appointments for eye exams last week. Dr. Cassin asked me if I was experiencing any issues with my vision. I took a few seconds to think about it before responding, "No, my eyes seem fine." It had been 2 1/2 years since our last eye exams.  An image appeared on the device I was looking through during the exam. The doctor asked if the two sections of a partial rectangle (left and right) I was seeing were lined up. I told him that one was quite a bit higher than the other. He made an adjustment and asked me again if they were lined up. "Nope, the right side is still higher." It would take s...

My range of motion (ROM) continues to improve. I hit 112° at both PT sessions last week and reached 114° Tuesday and today. This all comes after a 5-day MethylPrednisone burst that helped bring down swelling enough to give my knee more room to bend. I met with my doctor's PA on Monday. He's pleased with my progress and seemed optimistic that I can continue to see increased ROM over the next year, especially in the next few months, as swelling continues to abate. I would love to get to 130°, but it doesn't appear to be in my cards.  I've been enjoying indoor rides again, but they come at a cost, so my physical therapist would like me to hold off before incorporating them into my rehab. I rode for an hour a few days ago, and my knee felt very good, allowing me to push the pace for a couple of surges. The next day, however, I paid for it with a very tired and weak knee that had me sidelined the entire day. Taylor (my PT) told me it's okay to occasionally do an easy 5 m...

I don't like that I'm still talking about my rehab, but it's top-of-mind for me these days and will continue to be for a while, it seems. I went in for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) three weeks ago today because I wasn't progressing as I should have for being able to bend my knee due to excessive swelling that resulted in restrictive scar tissue that developed when my leg was immobilized. An MUA is a procedure where they sedate the person and bend their knee beyond the obstructive scar tissue developed after the surgery—scar tissue that prevents a person from getting a fuller bend in their knee.  It's a quick procedure that takes mere seconds to perform but is not something you want to have done to you while you're awake. The procedure went well. My doctor was able to force my knee to bend to a 130° range of motion (ROM) while I was under. He cautioned me not to expect to continue to achieve that ROM. He said my goal should be 110°-115°. I would prefer 120...

I'm stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario. Every day, I follow the same limited routine to fill my days. I'm speaking about my recovery from total knee replacement surgery six weeks ago. I should be getting on with my regular routine by now, filling my winter afternoons with stained glass projects, workouts, pup walks, fat bike rides along the river trails (that one may be a bit too ambitious for six weeks), or even driving myself to the store, but none of those things are happening because my recovery has not gone to plan.  We met with my doctor last Monday to discuss the minimal range of motion I'm left with after my surgery–about 65° of flexion. I've been stuck at this point for at least two weeks, and I should have re-established nearly my full range of motion by now. I need 90° of flexion before I can begin to ride my indoor bike trainer, and I need 90-120° to climb stairs comfortably. The 65° I'm left with is woefully inadequate for much other than limping around ...

Cliff turned one year old on Wednesday! He's been such a blessing in our lives, and we couldn't be more proud of the job Rachel and Drew have done. They're such good parents, always so engaged with Cliff as he explores his world. He's been crawling for over a month and is developing strong leg muscles as Drew shadows him while he takes on the challenge of climbing stairs. Walking can't be far off. I'm three weeks post-total knee replacement surgery, and to be honest, it's been a struggle. But this morning, I'm feeling the best I've felt since before surgery—markedly better. I also used a cane this morning rather than my walker for an appointment. I may be a little premature about the switch, but so far, so good. I think I'm still at least another ten days away from driving myself to appointments.  Excessive swelling in my knee has been the main hindrance to my recovery, but it is also improving. Much of the swelling I was contending with was from...